March 28, 2019 - Issue: Vol. 165, No. 54 — Daily Edition116th Congress (2019 - 2020) - 1st Session

[Pages S2098-S2099]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          VIETNAM VETERANS DAY

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
Judiciary Committee be discharged from further consideration and the 
Senate now proceed to S. Res. 69.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 69) designating March 29, 2019, as 
     ``Vietnam Veterans Day.''

  There being no objection, the committee was discharged and the Senate 
proceeded to consider the resolution.
  Mr. McCONNELL. I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed 
to; the Burr amendment to the preamble at the desk be agreed to; the 
preamble, as amended, be agreed to; and the motions to reconsider be 
considered made and laid upon the table.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The resolution (S. Res. 69) was agreed to.
  The amendment (No. 225) was agreed to as follows:

       Strike the preamble and insert the following:
       Whereas the Vietnam War was fought in the Republic of 
     Vietnam from 1955 to 1975 and involved regular forces from 
     the Democratic Republic of Vietnam and Viet Cong guerrilla 
     forces in armed conflict with the Armed Forces of the United 
     States, the armed forces of allies of the United States, and 
     the armed forces of the Republic of Vietnam;
       Whereas the Armed Forces of the United States became 
     involved in Vietnam because the United States Government 
     wanted to provide direct support by the Armed Forces to the 
     Government of the Republic of Vietnam to defend against the 
     growing threat of Communism from the Democratic Republic of 
     Vietnam;
       Whereas members of the Armed Forces of the United States 
     began serving in an advisory role to the Government of South 
     Vietnam in 1955;
       Whereas, as a result of the incidents in the Gulf of Tonkin 
     on August 2 and 4, 1964, Congress approved the Gulf of Tonkin 
     Resolution (Public Law 88-408) by an overwhelming majority on 
     August 7, 1964, which provided to the President of the United 
     States the authority to use armed force to assist the 
     Republic of Vietnam in the defense of its freedom against the 
     Democratic Republic of Vietnam;
       Whereas, in 1965, ground combat units of the Armed Forces 
     of the United States arrived in the Republic of Vietnam to 
     join approximately 23,000 personnel of the Armed Forces who 
     were already present there;
       Whereas, by December 1965, approximately 184,000 troops of 
     the Armed Forces of the United States were in Vietnam, and by 
     1969, the number of such troops reached a peak of 
     approximately 549,500, including members of the Armed Forces 
     who were supporting the combat operations from Thailand, 
     Cambodia, Laos, Japan, the Philippines, and aboard Navy 
     vessels;
       Whereas, on January 27, 1973, the Agreement on Ending the 
     War and Restoring Peace in Viet-Nam (commonly known as the 
     ``Paris Peace Accords'') was signed, which required the 
     release of all prisoners-of-war of the United States held in 
     North Vietnam and the withdrawal of all Armed Forces of the 
     United States from South Vietnam;
       Whereas, on March 29, 1973, the Armed Forces of the United 
     States completed the withdrawal of combat units and combat 
     support units from South Vietnam;
       Whereas, on April 30, 1975, North Vietnamese forces 
     captured Saigon, the capital of South Vietnam, effectively 
     placing South Vietnam under Communist control;
       Whereas more than 58,000 members of the Armed Forces of the 
     United States lost their lives in the Vietnam War, and more 
     than 300,000 members of the Armed Forces of the United States 
     were wounded in Vietnam;
       Whereas, in 1982, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall was 
     dedicated in the District of Columbia to commemorate the 
     members of the Armed Forces of the United States who died or 
     were declared missing-in-action in Vietnam;
       Whereas the Vietnam War was an extremely divisive issue 
     among the people of the United States and a conflict that 
     caused a generation of veterans to wait too long for the 
     public of the United States to acknowledge and honor the 
     efforts and services of those veterans;
       Whereas members of the Armed Forces who served bravely and 
     faithfully for the United States during the Vietnam War were 
     often wrongly criticized for the decisions of policymakers 
     that were beyond the control of those members; and
       Whereas designating March 29, 2019, as ``Vietnam Veterans 
     Day'' would be an appropriate way to honor the members of the 
     Armed Forces of the United States who served in South Vietnam 
     and throughout Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War: Now, 
     therefore, be it
  The preamble, as amended, was agreed to.

                               S. Res. 69

       Whereas the Vietnam War was fought in the Republic of 
     Vietnam from 1955 to 1975 and involved regular forces from 
     the Democratic Republic of Vietnam and Viet Cong guerrilla 
     forces in armed conflict with the Armed Forces of the United 
     States, the armed forces of allies of the United States, and 
     the armed forces of the Republic of Vietnam;
       Whereas the Armed Forces of the United States became 
     involved in Vietnam because the United States Government 
     wanted to provide direct support by the Armed Forces to the 
     Government of the Republic of Vietnam to defend against the 
     growing threat of Communism from the Democratic Republic of 
     Vietnam;
       Whereas members of the Armed Forces of the United States 
     began serving in an advisory role to the Government of South 
     Vietnam in 1955;
       Whereas, as a result of the incidents in the Gulf of Tonkin 
     on August 2 and 4, 1964, Congress approved the Gulf of Tonkin 
     Resolution (Public Law 88-408) by an overwhelming majority on 
     August 7, 1964, which provided to

[[Page S2099]]

     the President of the United States the authority to use armed 
     force to assist the Republic of Vietnam in the defense of its 
     freedom against the Democratic Republic of Vietnam;
       Whereas, in 1965, ground combat units of the Armed Forces 
     of the United States arrived in the Republic of Vietnam to 
     join approximately 23,000 personnel of the Armed Forces who 
     were already present there;
       Whereas, by December 1965, approximately 184,000 troops of 
     the Armed Forces of the United States were in Vietnam, and by 
     1969, the number of such troops reached a peak of 
     approximately 549,500, including members of the Armed Forces 
     who were supporting the combat operations from Thailand, 
     Cambodia, Laos, Japan, the Philippines, and aboard Navy 
     vessels;
       Whereas, on January 27, 1973, the Agreement on Ending the 
     War and Restoring Peace in Viet-Nam (commonly known as the 
     ``Paris Peace Accords'') was signed, which required the 
     release of all prisoners-of-war of the United States held in 
     North Vietnam and the withdrawal of all Armed Forces of the 
     United States from South Vietnam;
       Whereas, on March 29, 1973, the Armed Forces of the United 
     States completed the withdrawal of combat units and combat 
     support units from South Vietnam;
       Whereas, on April 30, 1975, North Vietnamese forces 
     captured Saigon, the capital of South Vietnam, effectively 
     placing South Vietnam under Communist control;
       Whereas more than 58,000 members of the Armed Forces of the 
     United States lost their lives in the Vietnam War, and more 
     than 300,000 members of the Armed Forces of the United States 
     were wounded in Vietnam;
       Whereas, in 1982, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall was 
     dedicated in the District of Columbia to commemorate the 
     members of the Armed Forces of the United States who died or 
     were declared missing-in-action in Vietnam;
       Whereas the Vietnam War was an extremely divisive issue 
     among the people of the United States and a conflict that 
     caused a generation of veterans to wait too long for the 
     public of the United States to acknowledge and honor the 
     efforts and services of those veterans;
       Whereas members of the Armed Forces who served bravely and 
     faithfully for the United States during the Vietnam War were 
     often wrongly criticized for the decisions of policymakers 
     that were beyond the control of those members; and
       Whereas designating March 29, 2019, as ``Vietnam Veterans 
     Day'' would be an appropriate way to honor the members of the 
     Armed Forces of the United States who served in South Vietnam 
     and throughout Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) designates March 29, 2019, as ``Vietnam Veterans Day'';
       (2) honors and recognizes the contributions of the veterans 
     of the Armed Forces of the United States who served in 
     Vietnam during war and during peace;
       (3) encourages States and local governments to designate 
     March 29, 2019, as ``Vietnam Veterans Day''; and
       (4) encourages the people of the United States to observe 
     Vietnam Veterans Day with appropriate ceremonies and 
     activities that--
       (A) provide the appreciation that veterans of the Vietnam 
     War deserve;
       (B) demonstrate the resolve that the people of the United 
     States shall never forget the sacrifices and service of a 
     generation of veterans who served in the Vietnam War;
       (C) promote awareness of the faithful service and 
     contributions of the veterans of the Vietnam War--
       (i) during service in the Armed Forces of the United 
     States; and
       (ii) to the communities of the veterans since returning 
     home;
       (D) promote awareness of the importance of entire 
     communities empowering veterans and the families of veterans 
     in helping the veterans readjust to civilian life after 
     service in the Armed Forces; and
       (E) promote opportunities for veterans of the Vietnam War--
       (i) to assist younger veterans returning from the wars in 
     Iraq and Afghanistan in rehabilitation from wounds, both seen 
     and unseen; and
       (ii) to support the reintegration of younger veterans into 
     civilian life.

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